1) Someone is murdered…there are no witnesses. Yet, we are able to identify the murderer and execute him for his crime k’halacha. What is the case?
2) From which pasuk in this week’s parsha do we have a hint to the custom of ’upsheren’ – ‘the custom of not cutting a baby boy’s hair until he is three years old’?
3) It is time for krias haTorah in shul. The ba’al koreh, a male Jew over the age of 13, is totally prepared for the reading. He is a fine, upstanding Jew, and it would seem that there is no reason to preclude him from being the ba’al koreh. The sefer Torah is kosher, is in perfect shape and is open to the correct place for the day’s reading. Yet, the ba'al koreh is told that he cannot read from the Torah that day. Why not?
4) In this week’s parsha we have the pasuk: כי תצור אל עיר ימים רבים להלחם עליה לתפשה לא תשחית את עצה לנדח עליה גרהן כי ממנו תאכל – “When you conquer a city after many days of fighting, make sure not to destroy its trees by setting an axe on them, for from it you can eat” (Devorim 20:19). This pasuk is the source for the well-known prohibition of ba’al tashchis, the prohibition against wasting things.
Nowadays, in most places there are special bins designed for recycling bottles, and the council ideally want people to place their used bottles inside these special bins. These bottles then get reused. It saves the council money, and is good for the climate. However, often the regular bin is much nearer and more convenient. If one throws a used bottle into a regular bin, does he violate the prohibition of ba’al tashchis, as he is throwing away something which other people could benefit from (if he were to put it in the recycling bin)?
5) There are six constant mitzvos, yet the only time we ever find the Torah tell us that a mitzvah applies, בשבתך בביתך ובלכתך בדרך ובשכבך ובקומך – “When you are sitting at home, or traveling on the way, when you are lying down or getting up” (Devorim 11:19) i.e. constantly, is by Torah, which is not even one of the six constant mitzvos, what is the explanation behind this?